The prefecture of Seine-Maritime has published Saturday evening on its website the results of analysis related to the risks of pollution caused by the fire on Thursday of Lubrizol chemical plant in Rouen, amid criticism accusing the authorities of a lack of transparency.
Regarding air quality, "the results on volatile organic compounds are all below the threshold of quantification (too small a quantity to be measured) and show a usual state of the air quality in terms of health", with the exception of the site of Lubrizol (presence of benzene), indicates the prefecture in one of its four releases.
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Regarding the soot fallout generated by the thick cloud of smoke, "the test results do not show significant differences between the control sample and the five other sites below the plume for PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons). ", explains the prefecture. Another area of concern for residents and farmers is the state of the crops after the cloud has passed. According to the authorities, "unharvested crop production should not be".
With regard to crops harvested before Thursday, which may have been exposed to contamination, the prefect asked for certain measures. Thus, it is requested that the milk collected from farms whose cows were grazed since Thursday, be recorded under the responsibility of the operator "until obtaining sanitary guarantees", eggs from livestock farms laid eggs and honey collected since Thursday as well as farmed fish produced in the area concerned.
A post-crash cell set up
The prefect also announced that a cell-post accident technology, taking over from the crisis cell, was set up. It is responsible for monitoring and managing the health and environmental impacts. Since the spectacular fire of the plant, classified Seveso threshold high, inhabitants of the agglomeration of Rouen, political parties, trade unions or associations of defense of the environment asked for more transparency on the consequences of the accident, qualified Saturday "major disaster" by the prefect Pierre-Henri Durand.
"We need the whole truth about #Lubrizol As for #AZF 17 years ago, a parliamentary commission of inquiry must be open as early as next week", pleaded Olivier Faure, number one of the PS, on Twitter. Several unions, including the CGT and Solidaires, but also environmental associations (Greenpeace, France nature environment) called for demonstrations Tuesday at 18h in front of the courthouse in Rouen, demanding "complete transparency".